Commitments Are Never Easy
by The Torturous Author
Summary: Sequel to Pretend You're in Love Ever since Natasha was kidnapped and Tony rescued her, their relationship has begun to heat up.


Natasha looked herself over in the mirror for the thousandth time. Her red hair was cut short and curled, perfectly framing her face. She kept her makeup light, adding a bit of a smoky eye for some dramatic effect. The black dress she wore fitted her curves perfectly, starting from the base of her neck and stopping just above her knees, which kept things modest. She decided on a simple pair of black heels and a necklace with a small diamond pendant. She knew she looked good, and normally she wasn't this self-conscious, but she knew all the girls Tony had been with in the past and part of her was worried about not being able to measure up with them. They had been together for a few months now – officially, not just the show they were putting on before – and those few months had been amazing. Natasha knew Tony wasn't really the type to settle down, though. Which was part of the reason she was so worried.

She heard Tony knock on her door. It was sort of convenient, yet sort of annoying, that they lived in the same building. She sighed, wishing for some more time to get herself ready, yet also knowing that no matter how much time she had, she would never feel ready enough. She looked over herself in the mirror one last time and decided it was now or never.

She walked over to the door, inhaled to try to calm her nerves, then exhaled as she opened it. She couldn't help but stare. Tony looked nothing less than amazing. His hair was styled nicely, it looked like he had actually slept a bit, and the suit he was wearing fit him perfectly. She knew her eyes had been wandering when she heard him clear his throat and she snapped her eyes up to look at him with a small blush on her cheeks.

"Ready to go?" he asked, holding out his arm.

"Yeah, let's go," she managed to choke out, looping her arm in his. "Where are we going anyway?"

"That, my dear, is a secret," he stated with a small chuckle added on to the end.

She felt her heart begin to beat harder again, her mind going through all the possibilities of where he could be taking her. He had all the money he could want, so price wasn't an issue. She hoped it wouldn't be somewhere too public. However, due to the ever-growing popularity of their relationship, it was extremely difficult to go anywhere without there being at least a dozen paparazzi following them. She hated it, and Tony knew that. She preferred being in secluded locations with the only people following her being the ones she knew were following her.

Tony led her to the tower's garage and into one of his many cars. It looked to be one of his newer and less driven ones. Hell, she hadn't even seen this one yet and wasn't sure what it was. She filed that away in her mind to ask about later. Her attention was brought back to what was going on in front of her by Tony opening up the passenger door for her.

* * *

She watched him from across the table. She had to admit, it was strange being out on a date and having it be an actual date. She picked up her glass of wine and swirled it in her glass a bit before taking a sip. This was the first time Tony had taken her out on a date since the rest of the Avengers found out they were actually dating and it was no longer a ploy for the public. Natasha noticed Tony looking up at her every once in a while, a small smile on his lips. She wanted to give him some sort of remark, ask him what he was smiling at because it sure as hell couldn't be her, but she decided against it. It wasn't unlike Tony to make a scene in a public place. Hell, he might even make her stand on a table and claim her to the entire restaurant – then the entire world, that she was his. As much as she liked hearing him say that to her, she didn't need that kind of embarrassment tonight.

"You okay, Nat?"

Natasha pulled herself out of her thoughts and focused back on Tony.

"Hm?" she asked, not having heard exactly what he had said.

"I asked if you're okay. You seem a bit distracted," he said, taking a sip from his glass of whiskey.

"Yeah. No. I mean, I am distracted, but I am okay," she replied with a smile. "It's just a bit strange being out on an actual date."

"You go on dates all the time."

"Only for missions," she pointed out.

Tony sighed and took another drink of whiskey. He seemed thoughtful for a moment.

"Have you ever gone dancing?" he suddenly asked.

"Lots of times."

"Without it being for a mission?"

She thought for a moment. Technically, she could say that she danced while in Red Room, but knowing Tony, he wouldn't like that answer and it would possibly ruin his mood for the night. She stretched her leg under the table and rubbed her foot against his calf. After catching his eye, she smiled then shook her head.

"I'll have to take you sometime, then," he suggested with a slight eyebrow raise.

"We could always dance when we get home," she said, her smile widening into a seductive grin.

Tony was about to say something when their waiter arrived with their food. A lobster was set between them and a couple different sides, green beans, mashed potatoes, and some cocktail sauce, was also set on the table. After checking to make sure the couple was currently satisfied, the waiter left again. Instead of saying what he was about to, Tony began to scoop a couple of the different sides on this plate. Natasha watched him for a moment, slightly curious about what he was going to say, then decided to follow suit and begin to eat some of the delicious smelling food that had been set in front of her.

After eating and the plates being cleared from between them, Natasha turned her complete attention back to Tony, only to find his attention was on her as well. One of his eyebrows was slightly cocked upward, as if he was considering something. She continued to watch him curiously,

"So what did you exactly mean by dance?" he finally asked.

Natasha smiled, curling her hand around her wineglass and bringing the glass to her lips. She took a small sip and held it a moment after, then replied.

"Why don't you take me home and find out?"


End file.
